Attracted by the present but drawn to the past, San Miguel served up a feast of culture, with the Casa del Capitan as the centre piece. Gripping the steep incline just below the Tenerife towns main street, the Captain´s House struck an impressive figure supported by the pottery hoisting statue that dominates the central courtyard.

Christmas was fast approaching, so my first task was to descend into the former wine cellar to see the nativity figures from South American countries. Peru, Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia all vied for attention but I had already been distracted by an ancient spooled film projector just under the stone steps, and a hall of reddy brown pottery plates and bowls. They were enough to feed a small army.

Through the window I could see the terraced soil that had given nutrition to grape and grain. Those two natural products are a vital part of the ancestry of San Miguel de Abona, a long wedge of a municipality that reaches down from the hills to the modern retail face of Las Chafiras, Golf del Sur, and the busy San Miguel marina.The large patio of Casa del Capitan is now a great stage for visiting groups to learn about the working heritage of town and municipality.

Remains of the old granary and mill showed how grain was converted into gofio and flour. A rusty steam powered engine bore a British patent number. The wooden wine press may have been eclipsed by modern inventions but the end product still carries the taste of the local soil. The nativity scene was just passing through but there´s free entry to Casa del Capitan each Monday to Friday from 8am to 1.30pm, and Tuesday to Friday from 4pm to 8 pm, with 10am to 1pm each Saturday.

San Miguel presents its claims way before you reach the historic house. The vaulting figure of a shepherd looks out from a mirador viewing point. Salto del Pastor was a quick and effective method to cross ravines and bypass rocky ridges. An impressive mural on corrugated fencing gives an idea of the joy and celebration of the annual romeria. Look up and the white tower of San Miguel Arcangel church beckons. Their christmas nativitywas flowing around the grounds and reaching up the tower. Work on improving the plaza was in progress and a 6km walk down to Aldea Blanca was making my feet itch. From the bus back to Los Cristianos, the trek from La Centinela to San Miguel looked well used and recently tidied up. The captain would have been proud of his kingdom.